Need recipe for french bread that is healthy

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I am trying to eliminate all refined sugar and white flour from our diet and would like to get a recipe for french bread that uses neither. If you have any tips or recipes, please let me know. Thank you!

-- Marie in Central WA (Mamafila@aol.com), March 23, 2002

Answers

Go to YahooGroups and look for "Mixer-Owners". Ask and no doubt some of the ladies will provide good recipes for you. Many use fresh ground whole wheat flour.

Also check recipes at CountryLife.net in the Recipe Bin.

As you know, when making bread by hand you do not need to add sugar to the dough. Yeast will nibble flour for it's nourishment. May take longer for bread to start rising but works great.

Also, when using whole wheat flour, add vital wheat gluten. The sharp particles of whole wheat cuts the gluten strands making a weaker dough for trapping gasses from the fermenting yeast.

While at CountryLife.net Recipe Bin look for "Bread instructions" in the handmade and bread machine areas or just do a search for it. Read both, I think the info will be of help.

Also check out "Buttermilk 100% Whole Wheat Bread" by Marie. It is a bread machine recipe but works just as well made by hand. Just omit the sugar and allow more time for the rising.

You may wish to try "white whole wheat flour" by King Arthur. Has a more mild flavor than regular whole wheat flour.

Be sure and keep flours in the frig or freezer to prevent from oxidizing and becoming rancid unless you use it fast enough. Allow to return to room temperature before making bread. I take it out the night before and it is just right next morning.

-- Marie (rainbarrel55@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.


I have also seen white whole wheat berries in health food stores. If they don't stock the flour, perhaps they could order you some? It really is better than whole red wheat.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 24, 2002.

but then it's not french bread!!!!!!!!!!

hehe. i had an awesome recipe for french bread (authentic--from france). beautiful baguettes...but i lost the recipe and my life hasn't been the same since... hehe. :) well, it wasn't "healthy" so i guess you wouldn't've been able to use it anyway, but i'm telling you, it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!

-- C (punk_chicadee@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.


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